Bill-file



Nrrnn STATES ATENT OFFICE.

BIgLL-FILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 491,905, dated February 14, 1893.

Application filed October 19, 1892. Serial No. 449,326- (NO model.)

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, AUGUST QUORTRUP, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Richmond Hill, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bill-Files; and I do hereby declare that t-he following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to devices for filing away cards or memoranda, or so-called bill files, consisting essentially of a box or drawer of suitable dimensions, transverse partitions arranged movably therein and suitably lettered or numbered after a pre-arranged plan or system, and means for guiding said partitions when they are being moved forward or back, as well as means for securing them in their position within the box or drawer after they have been properly adjusted. One of the essentials to the satisfactory use of a device of that kind is the speedy and effectual fastening and unfastening of the movablepartitions, and my present improvement consists, therefore, in the construction of this fastening or clamping device and its combination with the box or drawer and the movable partitions therein.

By the use of my improved bill-file, letters, invoices, bills, and other commercial documents, before being filed away, are suitably numbered and a brief record of the contents is made upon a card or slip of paper, numbered similarly to the bill or document with which it corresponds. The documents are then filed or stored in consecutive order, and the cards or slips are placed in a box,drawer, or other receptacle, between movable partitions alphabetically arranged.' By referring to these cards or slips, the contents or nature of the documents may be quickly and readily ascertained, without necessarily referring to the documents themselves.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a perspective view of an index receptacle or 'bill file constructed in accordance with my invention, the drawer being partly opened; Fig. 2 isa plan View of the same; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section; Fig. 4 is a detail view of the clamping or fastening device, removed from the box or drawer; and Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view through the box or receptacle, removed from the casing, and looking toward the innermost or rearmost partition.

Like numerals of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures;

In the said drawings, the reference numeral 1 designates a box or casing, and 2 a drawer fitting in the same and capable of being slid in and out. In the lower part of this drawer are two parallel horizontal rods 3, and in the upper part two similar rods 4, which pass through holes or apertures in the partitions 5 of press board or other suitable material. These partitions are capableof freely moving upon the rods when it is desired to insert a card or cards between them,and they are held in place by means of a clamp 6, consisting of a piece of wire twisted into a loop 7 near each end, forming downwardly projecting arms 8, which bear against the innermost partition, with the ends coilfd around the upper rods 4, having upwardly projecting arms l0, which bear against the sides of the drawer.

As will be observed by reference to Fig. 2, the wire 6 spans the box or receptacle 2,0011- necting the two upper parallel guide-rods 4 and 4, on which it slides, said rods passing through eyes 11. These eyes,which are formed by twisting the wire at each end, are sufficiently long to form bearings for the clamping wire as it is 'slid forward and back, so that it will not bind on the guide-wires 4, but will always move at right angles to the same. By the coiling of the wire to form these eyes, the projecting free end of the wire at each end, marked lO, will bear with considerable springpressure against the inner sides of the box, thus holding the clamping wire in its adjusted position by friction. The loops 7 and arms 8 are bent inwardly, so as to overlap the edges of the innermost partition and thereby prevent it from slipping past the wire. It will thus be seen that this clamping wire 6, bent to form the retaining arms 8, eyes 1l and friction springs 10, will effectually retain the partitions 5 in their properly adj usted positions, by bearing against, and retaining in its place, the innermost of said partitions, while, at the same time, it can be readily moved when reloi,

quired. Not only is the innermost partition kept in place by the depending and inwardly projecting arms 8 and loops 7, but as the wire (i spa-ns the box from side to side, it forms an effective backing or support for the partition just in front of it, so that it cannot bulge or get out of shape.

The partitions are preferably marked or printed with the letters of the alphabet and are arranged in alphabetical order.

The operation will be readily understood: V hen a card or slip of paper from a manifold book has been numbered to correspond with a bill, invoice or other document to be filed away, and such information as may subsequent-ly be found useful placed thereon, it is inserted between the appropriate partitions in the drawer, so as to be readily accessible when needed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

In a bill-tile of the described type, the coinbination with the receptacle or drawer having longitudinal guide-rods and transverse partr tions sliding thereon, of the clamping or f astening device consisting of a wire spanning the receptacle on a line with the upper guiderods and twisted at both ends to form springloops or eyes sliding on said rods, upwardly projecting spring-arms bearing against the inner sides of the receptacle, and downwardly projecting loops bent inwardly so as to overlap the back of the adjacent partition on both sides; substantially as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto aixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AUGUST QUORTRUP.

Witnesses:

JAMES JOSEPH FEELY, PETER CHRISTIE WILLsoN. 

